Safety package for dangerous liquids



P 2 0 0 0 w M m m 10V 0 WHHI R 4 J 2, If y I W m A 3 0 JY B IIIIIIIIIIIfl/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/I Filed July 7, 1964 J R TAYLOR SAFETY PACKAGE FOR DANGEROUS LIQUIDS I L///////7//A///////////// March 22, 1966 United States Patent 3,241,209 SAFETY PACKAGE FOR DANGEROUS LIQUIDS John R. Taylor, Mountain Lakes, N.J., assiguor to Allied Chemical Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed July 7, 1964, Ser- No. 380,757 8 Claims. (Cl. 215-12) My invention relates to safety containers for flammable, corrosive, or other similarly dangerous liquids and to sealing members therefor.

It is often desirable to store and dispense such dangerous liquids from a glass container, or other container constructed of such a breakable or frangible material, in order to avert contamination and otherwise protect the quality of the fluid to be contained. An example is found in cases wherein the liquid, for example ethyl ether, is used in the processing of electronic devices. Such liquids, if stored in metal containers will pick up metallic impurities, even small traces of which may cause unworkability of the electronic devices.

The frangibility of the containers thus employed creates hazardous situations occurring in the event of breakage, when the flammable contents are exposed to an ignition source. Considerable damage to person and property has resulted from such a sequence of events. Similarly, damage to persons or property frequently occurs when glass containers, containing highly corrosive or other dangerous materials, are broken.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a safety package or container assembly designed to hold flammable, corrosive or other similarly dangerous liquids.

More particularly, it is a major object of the invention to provide a safety package for dangerous liquids as above described, comprising an inner frangible container of suitable material to protect the quality of the product and an outer non-frangible shell or container, which serves to protect the inner frangible container from damage and also to retain liquid in the package in the event that the inner container is broken, thus affording an opportunity to dispose of said liquid subsequently,

in a safe manner.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a sealing unit for use in the above-described safety package, simple and inexpensive in manufacture and use, which provides a second enclosure for dangerous liquids, substantially surrounding the inner container.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the construction and arrangement of the elements of the combination, as well as of the combination, when considered with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view, partly in section of one embodiment of the combination safety package in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 of the top portion of the combination shown in FIG. 1, showing the overcap, closure cap and sealing ring in section and the bottle top in elevation.

FIG. 3 is a perspective of a preferred embodiment of the sealing ring or fitment, a portion thereof being cut away.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, overcap removed, illustrating a modified sealing ring.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an assembly of an inner frangible or breakable bottle for liquids and an outer protective unbreakable container arranged so that the assembly may be used as a unit to pour liquid from the bottle and being adapted to prevent spillage of the liquid in the event of misadventure during storage, or even use, resulting in breakage of the bottle. More specifically, a conventional bottle, equipped with a neck having a shoulder thereon, nests within a liquid-tight protective contain-er, made desirably of sheet metal, having an aperture in its top so that the bottle neck extends above the container with the shoulder being adjacent the aperture. A. thermoplastic fitment, or ring, providing an outer groove and an inwardly extending flange, is disposed around the neck of the bottle and in the aperture of the can top with the groove receiving the said apertured top in fluid-tight engagement and with the flange engaging the undersurface of the shoulder of the bottle neck, also in fluid-tight relationship. Suitable means, such as cast threads, are provided on the bottle neck for engagement with a bottle cap. The entire assembly is so dimensioned that the fitment referred to, terminates at its lower edge adjacent the body of the bottle, whereby, with the fitment inserted in the assembly, the bottle neck is held by the fitment in fixed lateral relationship with the outer container and vertical movement of the bottle within the container is prevented or minimized. Optionally and preferably, the fitment also provides a suitable means, such as a circumferential surface, to frictionally engage an overcap covering the bottle, including the cap thereon, for further protection.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, 1 represents a frangible or breakable inner container, such as a conventional cylindrical glass bottle, comprising a main body portion 2 terminating in a cylindrical neck 3, which may be threaded 4, the cylindrical neck 3 being provided as is conventional with a lower peripheral or circumferential shoulder 5. The frangible container is mounted with an outer protective non-frangible shell 6, which surrounds the main body portion and lower neck portion of inner container 1. The outer shell or container 6 is provided with an inwardly extending, upper annular flange or apertured top 7 providing a circular opening in the top of the outer shell, which permits the neck portion 3 of the inner container to extend therethrough, as best shown in FIG. 2. Appropriate cushioning material 8 may be disposed between the inner frangible container 1 and the outer protective non-frangible shell 6. A resilient annular sealing ring 9 made of thermoplastic material, for example, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polytetrafluoroethylene, polychlorotrifluoroethylene, polypropylene or rubber is provided in order to complete an enclosure indicated 'at 10 for that portion of the inner container below the neck 3. As can be seen clearly by making reference to FIG. 2, the sealing ring is provided with an outwardly extending flange 11, intermediate its uppermost and lowermost extremities and a peripheral lip 12 preferably of smaller diameter and immediately subadjacent flange 11, thus defining a circumferential recess or groove 13, which receives the inwardly extending flange 7 of the outer protective shell. The sealing ring is further provided, conveniently above flange 11, with an annular flange 14 defining an aperture of smaller diameter than peripheral shoulder 5, extending inwardly, which flange 1d engages, preferably as a liquid-tight seal, the undersurface of the peripheral shoulder 5 of neck portion 3 of inner container 1. Flange 14 may extend from the uppermost extremity of sealing ring 9, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, or it may ext-end from some lower point, opposite, above or below flange 11, depending upon the extent neck 3 of the inner container is to project beyond the apertured top or flange 7 of outer container 6. The vertical extension 20, if any, of the annular sealing ring above the inwardly extending flange 14 is shown schematically by the dotted lines in FIGS. 2 and 4. A closure cap 27 may be positioned over the opening 15 in the top of the neck of inner container 1. In addition,

a protective non-frangible overcap 16 may be mounted on the sealing ring so that it is positioned over the closure cap 27 and/or neck of the inner container, which serves to protect the same from damage and also to complete an enclosure from which liquid, if lost due to breakage of the inner container, cannot escape.

In a preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 4, the upper extension or collar 21 of annular sealing ring 9 is recessed, or in other words is of smaller diameter than the aperture defined by the lower portion 19 of the sealing ring, as shown at 17.

The peripheral concentric lip 12 subadjacent flange 11, defining the circumferential recess or groove 13, is pre ferably beveled on its lower edge, as best shown in this figure, so as to permit assembly of the unit by snapping or pressing fitment 9 into place. The upper face of lip 12 may be parallel to the lower face of flange 11 to provide a rectangular groove. Preferably, however, the upper face of lip 12 is beveled slightly, so that groove 13 is tapered inwardly to a width of somewhat less than the thickness of container top '7, whereby the latter when seated in the groove slightly deforms the thermoplastic material. As in the previously discussed embodiment, the sealing ring is further provided, above said outwardly extending flange 11, with an annular flange 14, which extends inwardly from vertical extension 21 and is preferably dimensioned to permit snapping over shoulder to engage its undersurface and the bottle neck under compression, the diameter of the top opening in fitment 9 being preferably slightly less than that of the bottle neck.

In a typical safety package according to the invention, a conventional cylindrical glass bottle with threaded neck is employed as the inner container. Such bottles are commonly provided in one quart or larger or smaller sizes, although the only limitation on size is the practical limitation of ease of handling for the particular purpose. The bottle or container may be constructed of a number of other frangible materials, such as porcelain and various ceramic materials depending on considerations of economics, availability and contaminability. The outer protective shell is conveniently constructed of sheet metal. e.g., steel, aluminum, alloys, etc., although any one of a variety of other non-frangible materials which would afford the sought for protection could be employed, thermoset resins or rigid or semi-rigid thermoplastic resins being exemplary.

The annular sealing ring is, in a preferred embodiment, the recessed embodiment shown in FIG. 4 and perspectively illustrated in FIG. 3. This configuration permits greater flexibility of the sealing ring and a tighter fit with the neck of the glass inner container. The sealing ring is constructed of a material which is sufficintly resiliently deformable to permit the forcing of shoulder 5 through the smaller opening within flange 14. Such resiliency characteristics permit a liquid-tight snap fit as between inwardly extending flange 7 of the outer shell and circumferential recess 13 in the sealing ring. In a practical embodiment of a safety package as herein described, it is not necessary to provide upward vertical extensions 29 of vertical faces 21 or 24. Flange 14 may be coplanar with flange 11 or in a plane above flange 11, as shown in the drawing, or below flange 11. In the interest of rigidity, particularly with the use of relatively thin, say to inch thick thermoplastic fltments, flange 14 should not be more than /2 inch above or below flange 11. Extension may extend, in any event, sufficiently above flange 14 to furnish desired engagement surface for overcap 16. It is expedient to provid a threaded inner cap 27 for the bottle which meshs with threads 4 on the bottle neck. Downward vertical extensions 22 and 19 in FIGS. 2 and 4, respectively, may limit relative motion of the inner and outer containers. Additionally, they serve to guide th inner container laterally into assembly position during the assembly process. These members cannot be extended below a point wherein they would be in contact with the upper portion of the body 23 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) of the inner container and their lower ends may be beveled as shown, or squared off. In either event the lower ends may be above and out of contact with the bottle and most expediently are kept relatively short.

Corrugated fibreboard is disposed between the inner glass container and the outer metallic shell around the circumference of the inner container, substantially along its length and between the bottom of the inner container and the bottom of the metallic shell. Although the safety package could be used without such material, use of the material is preferred since it reduces shock and vibration to the inner glass container and minimizes the possibility of breakage of the same. Obviously, a variety of other materials which would provide such protection could be used such as felt, cotton, excelsior and others which will readily occur to those skilled in the art.

The removable protective overcap placed over the neck of the fragible container is conveniently of sheet metal but can be constructed of any non-frangible material, such as used in the construction of the outer protective shell. The overcap can conveniently be designed so as to frictionally fit circumferentially with the upper vertical face of the plastic sealing ring, designated 21 in the embodiment of FIG. 4 and 24 in the embodiment of FIG. 2. Of course, the metallic overcap could be attached in any other suitable way, such as by threaded engagement of threads located circumferentially on the lower portion of the overcap and receptive grooves situated circumferentially on inwardly extending flange 7 of the protective shell, adjacent the opening defined by said flange.

It has been found that for a quart sized bottle, with neck about 1% in diameter, very satisfactory results are obtained by providing a plastic sealing ring with the following dimensions: The opening 25' shown in FIG. 3 is made slightly less in diameter than the diameter of the bottle neck say about 1 so as to afford a close gripping fit and consequent liquid-tight seal as between the sealing ring and the bottle neck. Similarly, opening 26 in the bottom of the sealing ring is constructed to about 1.7" or slightly larger in diameter than the opening in the top of the outer protective shell defined by flange '7, to afford a like close gripping fit as between the sealing ring and flange 7. Making reference to FIGURE 4, flange 14 may be in width, flange 11, A" in width when measured from recessed point 17 shown on the drawing, recessed vertical face 21, about A, non-recessed vertical face 19, (including recess 13) and recess 13 being about in depth, with peripheral lip 12 about in extension from vertical face 19 and being beveled at an angle of about with the lower portion of the vertical face 19.

In commercial use, assembly of the unit is accomplished in the following manner: The outer protective, non-frangible shell or can may be purchased partially assembled, i.e., body formed, top seamed to body and hole punched in top. The annular sealing ring, or fitment, is inserted in the hole in the top of the can and, using the vertical face of the lower portion of the sealing ring as a guide, is snapped into engagement with the inwardly extending flange '7 of the outer protective shell, as described above. Corrugated fibreboard, or other cushioning material desired, is inserted in between the inner container and the outer protective shell, along the inner circumference and substantially throughout the length of the outer protective shell. The frangible inner container is then inserted into the protective shell or can from the bottom and the neck of the inner container is pushed through the opening in the sealing ring or fitment so that flange 11 of the sealing ring engages the undersurface of the peripheral shoulder 5 of the inner container or bottle. Additional cushioning material, conveniently a corrugated fibreboard disc, is placed over the bottom of the bottle. The bottom of the protective shell or can may then be attached, e.g., by crimping, seaming or some other conventional method. The bottle may then be filled and capped, the protective overcap applied and the safety unit is then ready for shipment, storage or use.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes in construction and arrangement of the parts of my invention may be made without departing from the spirit and purpose of the invention and it is accordingly my intention to include by the claims, all modifications of structure or mechanical equivalents thereof, reasonably included within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A container assembly comprising a breakable bottle for liquid provided with a neck adapted to receive a bottle closure and having a circumferential shoulder extending from below the top of the bottle neck, a non-breakable outer container adapted to hold liquid enclosing said bottle, having an apertured top appreciably larger than said bottle neck through which the latter extends, and a unitary resilient fastening unit disposed in said apertured top and around the bottle neck, providing an outer circumferential recess receiving said container top in liquidtight engagement, and an inwardly extending annular flange in fluid-tight engagement with the undersurface of the bottle neck shoulder.

2. The combination of an inner container comprising a main body portion terminating in a cylindrical neck having a peripheral shoulder, mounted within an outer protective shell surrounding the main body portion of the inner container, which shell is provided with an inwardly extending annular flange at its upper extremity so that the neck portion of the inner container extends therethrough; with an annular sealing ring having an outwardly extending flange intermediate its uppermost and lowermost extremities, a peripheral lip immediately subadjacent the flange, thus defining a circumferential recess which receives the inwardly extending flange of the outer protective shell, the sealing ring further being provided with an annular flange extending inwardly, which latter flange engages the undersurface of the peripheral shoulder of the neck portion of the inner container, so that the outer protective shell and the annular sealing ring define an enclosure for the portion of the inner container below the neck.

3. The combination of an inner container comprising a main body portion terminating in a cylindrical neck having a peripheral shoulder, mounted within an outer protective shell surrounding the main body portion of the inner container, which shell is provided with an inwardly extending annular flange at its upper extremity so that the neck portion of the inner container extends therethrough; with a resilient annular sealing ring, recessed intermediate its uppermost and lowermost extremities, having an annular concentric flange extending outwardly, and on a plane with the lateral face of the recessed portion of the sealing ring, a peripheral concentric lip immediately subadjacent the flange in the vertical face of the non-recessed portion of the sealing ring, thus defining a circumferential recess which receives the inwardly extending flange of the outer protective shell, the sealing ring further being provided above said outwardly extending flange with an annular flange extending inwardly from the vertical face of the recessed portion of the seal ing ring, which flange engages the undersurface of the peripheral shoulder of the neck portion of the inner container, so that the outer protective shell and the annular sealing ring define an enclosure for the portion of the inner container below the neck.

4. The combination of a frangible inner container comprising a main body portion terminating in a cylindrical narrow neck portion having a peripheral shoulder, mounted within an outer protective non-frangible shell surrounding the main body portion of the inner container,

which shell is provided with an inwardly extending annular flange at its upper extremity so that the neck portion of the inner container extends therethrough and cushioning material disposed between the outer protective shell and the main body portion of the inner frangible container; with an annular sealing ring having an outwardly extending flange intermediate its uppermost and lowermost extremities and a peripheral concentric lip of smaller diameter immediately subadjacent the flange, thus defining a circumferential recess which receives the inwardly extending flange of the outer protective shell, the sealing ring further being provided above said outwardly extending flange with an annular flange extending inwardly from the sealing ring, which flange engages the undersurface of the peripheral shoulder of the narrow neck portion of the frangible container, so that the outer protective shell and the annular sealing ring define an enclosure for the portion of the inner frangible container below the neck, the unit being further provided with means to protect the cylindrical neck portion extending through the outer protective shell.

5. The combination of an inner glass container comprising a main body portion terminating in a cylindrical narrow neck portion having a peripheral shoulder mounted within an outer metallic shell surrounding the main body portion of the inner glass container, which shell is provided with an inwardly extending annular flange at its upper extremity so that the neck portion of the inner container extends therethrough and cushioning material disposed between the main body portion of the inner glass container and the outer metallic shell; with a resilient annular sealing ring having an outwardly extending flange intermediate its uppermost and lowermost extremities and a peripheral concentric lip of smaller diameter immediately subadjacent the flange, thus forming a circumferential recess which receives the inwardly ex tending flange of the metallic shell, the sealing ring further being provided above said outwardly extending flange with an annular horizontal flange extending inwardly from the sealing ring, which flange engages the undersurface of the peripheral shoulder of the narrow neck portion of the inner glass container, so that the outer protective shell and the annular resilient sealing ring define an enclosure for the portion of the inner glass container below the neck, the unit being further provided with means to protect the cylindrical neck portion of the inner glass container projecting through the outer metallic shell.

6. The combination of an inner glass cylindrical container comprising a main body portion terminating in a cylindrical narrow neck portion having a peripheral shoulder, mounted within an outer protective metallic shell surrounding the main body portion of the glass container, which shell is provided with an inwardly extending horizontal annular flange at its upper extremeity so positioned that the neck portion of the inner container projects therethrough and cushioning material disposed be tween the main body portion of the inner glass container and the outer metallic shell; with a plastic annular sealing ring, recessed intermediate its uppermost and lowermost extremities, having an annular concentric flange extending outwardly, and on a plane with the lateral face of the recessed portion of the sealing ring, a peripheral concentric lip of smaller diameter immediately subadjacent the flange in the vertical face of the non-recessed portion of the sealing ring, thus defining a circumferential recess which receives the inwardly extending flange of the outer metallic shell, the sealing ring further being provided with an annular flange extending inwardly from the upper extremity of the vertical face of the recessed portion of the sealing ring, which flange engages the undersurface of the peripheral shoulder of the narrow neck portion of the inner glass container, so that the outer metallic shell and the plastic sealing ring define an enclosure for the portion of the inner container below the neck, the unit being further provided with a detachable protective non-frangible overcap, frictionally engageable with the sealing ring, which serves to protect the cylindrical neck portion projecting through the outer protective metallic shell, from damage.

7. The combination of an inner cylindrical glass con tainer comprising a main body portion terminating in a cylindrical narrow neck portion having a peripheral shoulder, mounted within an outer protective metallic shell surrounding the main body portion of the inner glass container, which shell is provided with an inwardly extending annular horizontal flange at its upper extremity so that the neck portion of the inner container extends therethrough and cushioning material disposed between the outer metallic shell and the main body portion of the inner glass container, with an annular plastic sealing ring having an outwardly extending flange intermediate its uppermost and lowermost extremities and a peripheral concentric lip of smaller diameter immediately subadjacent the flange, thus forming a circumferential recess which receives the inwardly extending flange of the outer metallic shell, the sealing ring further being provided with a horizontal annular flange extending inwardly from the uppermost extremity of the annular plastic sealing ring, which flange engages the undersurface of the peripheral shoulder of the narrow neck portion of the glass inner container, so that the outer protective metallic shell and the plastic sealing ring define an enclosure for the portion of the inner container below the neck, the unit being further provided with a detachable protective non-frangible overcap, frictionally engageable with the plastic sealing ring, which serves to protect the cylindrical neck portion projecting through the outer metallic shell, from damage.

8. The combination of an inner container comprising a main body portion termianting in a cylindrical neck having a peripheral shoulder, mounted within an outer protective shell surrounding the main body portion of the inner container, which shell is provided with an inwardly extending annular flange at its upper extremity so that the neck portion of the inner container extends therethrough; with an annular sealing ring of sufficient length so that it engages the main body portion of the inner container, said sealing ring being provided with an outwardly eX- tending flange intermediate its uppermost and lowermost extremities, a peripheral lip immediately subadjacent the flange, thus defining a circumferential recess which receives the inwardly extending flange of the outer protective shell, the sealing ring further being provided with an annular flange extending inwardly, which latter flange engages the undersurface of the peripheral shoulder of the neck portion of the inner container, so that the outer protective shell and the annular sealing ring define an enclosure for the portion of the inner container below the neck.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,920,799 1/1960 Binder 21513 3,070,250 12/1962 Bramming 21513 FOREIGN PATENTS 214,707 1/ 1957 Australia.

547,883 6/ 1956 Belgium. 1,293,579 4/ 1962 France.

776,218 6/1957 Great Britain.

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A BREAKABLE BOTTLE FOR LIQUID PROVIDED WITH A NECK ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A BOTTLE CLOSURE AND HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL SHOULDER EXTENDING FROM BELOW THE TOP OF THE BOTTLE NECK, A NON-BREAKABLE OUTER CONTAINER ADAPTED TO HOLD LIQUID ENCLOSING SAID BOTTLE, HAVING AN APERTURED TOP APPRECIABLY LARGER THAN SAID BOTTLE NECK THROUGH WHICH THE LATTER EXTENDS, AND A UNITARY RESILIENNT FASTENING UNIT DISPOSED IN SAID APERTURED TOP AND AROUND THE BOTTLE NECK, PROVIDING AN OUTER CIRCUMFERENTIAL RECESS RECEIVING SAID CONTAINER TOP IN LIQUIDTIGHT ENGAGEMENT, AND AN INWARDLY EXTENDING ANNULAR FLANGE IN FLUID-TIGHT ENGAGEMENT WITH THE UNDERSURFACE OF THE BOTTLE NECK SHOULDER. 